Xbox 360

LONDON – 26th FEBRUARY 2009: Xbox® today unveiled major plans to extend its offering even further by giving entertainment fans even more to enjoy whether they’re into movies, music or games.

Speaking at the official launch event in central London today, UK Head of Xbox Neil Thompson announced a vision for the console giant that will give customers a 360 degree entertainment experience that never ends, thanks to an ongoing commitment to providing cutting edge new downloadable content to Xbox LIVE®. It will give entertainment fans an even broader choice of fun - enabling them to play extra elements of their favourite games, watch major Hollywood blockbuster films[1] or chat and connect with friends anywhere in the world all from the comfort of their living room.

Film fans will be the first to benefit as it is today announced an agreement with NBC Universal International Television Distribution, making films from Universal Pictures the latest content from a major Hollywood studio to join the Xbox LIVE roster. NBC Universal will offer some of its biggest and best movie titles in high definition to Xbox LIVE, giving customers the chance to rent the latest movies of their choice at the touch of a button.

The Universal Pictures content, which joins that of Warner Bros and Paramount Pictures amongst others, is available now with over 30 titles already on the service. The range of titles available immediately from will span a range of genres catering for all tastes and offer everything from Hollywood action blockbusters including The Fast and The Furious, Wanted and Incredible Hulk (2008) through to cinema classics such as Child’s Play 3 and Scarface.

Comedy fans are well catered for with laugh-out-loud hits including National Lampoon’s Animal House, Cheech And Chong’s Next Movie and Simon Pegg’s cult Brit hit, Shaun Of The Dead. Further titles will be added to the service on a rolling basis.

Gamers are also set to benefit thanks to a new wave of extra content being made available for all their favourite titles. As if the games themselves weren’t enough, fans will be treated to hundreds of hours of extra gameplay to extend their experience even further. Extra content on offer covers all the major blockbuster titles including Gears of War 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3, Tomb Raider and Fable 2 right through to new tracks for fun social games like Lips (including three new tracks from Coldplay) Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour and Scene It. And despite some of these titles also being available on other platforms – the extra content is completely exclusive to Xbox LIVE and is available to download now.

In addition to offering great new gaming content, Xbox also today revealed a look at the eagerly-awaited ‘1 vs. 100’ – a completely exclusive, completely interactive television quiz show game giving gamers the chance to compete against each other and win real prizes.

Commenting on the news, UK & Ireland Head of Xbox, Neil Thompson said: “We are delighted to announce what are perhaps our most exciting content developments to date. Having an agreement with NBC Universal not only gives our customers even more choice when they use Xbox LIVE but really seals our position as a major player in the mainstream home entertainment space. Of course, we always want to ensure our core audience have the best possible gaming experiences too, and with the range of new extra content now available they can enjoy some of the biggest blockbuster and social games for longer than ever before. This also applies to ‘1 vs. 100’, which, whilst still in its infancy, signals the next chapter in the Xbox story which is set to take home entertainment to a whole new level by putting the consumer in the driving seat of their own TV show. Watch this space.”

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NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] [1]Films are available for rent from 250 Microsoft Points (£2.08) and are available for viewing for up to 14 days from rental and 24 hours after beginning playback.

Full list of NBC Universal film titles to be initially available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store:

Baby Mama

Billy Madison

The Blues Brothers

The Bourne Supremacy

Carlito's Way

Cheech and Chong's Next Movie

Child's Play 2

Child's Play 3

The Chronicles of Riddick

The Fast and the Furious

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

The Frighteners

The Game

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

How High

Incredible Hulk ('08)

The Jerk

The Mummy Returns

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

National Lampoon's Animal House

Out of Sight ('98)

Red Dragon

Scarface ('83)

The Scorpion King

The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior

Shaun of the Dead

Village of the Damned

Wanted

Waterworld

Weird Science

PRICING

UK

• New Release SD: 3.00 pounds (360 MS Points)

• New Release HD: 4.50 pounds (540 MS Points)

• Library SD: 2.08 (250 MS Points)

• Library HD: 3.17 (380 MS Points)

Ireland

• New Release SD: 4.29 euro (360 MS Points)

• New Release HD: 6.43 euro (540 MS Points)

• Library SD: 2.98 (250 MS Points)

• Library HD: 4.53 (380 MS Points)

FULL LIST OF GAMES WITH NEW CONTENT AVAILABLE

Grand Theft Auto IV

Gears of War 2

Fable 2

Fallout 3

Lips

Scene It

Rock Band

Guitar Hero World Tour

Tomb Raider Underworld

More info at www.xbox.com

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For more press information, please contact:

Gina Edwards/ 020 3047 4057 / georgina_edwards@jcpr.com

Nik Thakkar / 020 3047 4087 / nik_thakkar@jcpr.com

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a superior video game and entertainment system delivering the best games, unique entertainment features and a unified online gaming network that revolve around gamers. Xbox 360 has a portfolio of more than 300 games in nearly 40 countries. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/xbox360.

About Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Game Studios is a leading worldwide publisher and developer of games for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game systems, the Windows operating system and online platforms. Comprising a network of top developers, Microsoft Game Studios is committed to creating innovative and diverse games for Windows ( http://www.microsoft.com/games), including such franchises as “Age of Empires,” “Flight Simulator” and “Zoo Tycoon”; Xbox and Xbox 360 ( http://www.xbox.com), including such games as “Gears of War” and franchises such as “Halo,” “Fable,” “Project Gotham Racing” and “Forza Motorsport”; and MSN Games ( http://www.games.msn.com), the official games channel for the MSN network and home to such hits as “Bejeweled” and “Hexic.”

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more entertainment from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are — in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Xbox LIVE Arcade

Xbox LIVE Arcade on Xbox 360 is the premier destination for digitally distributed high-definition games. Xbox LIVE Arcade is a fast-growing phenomenon with a diverse library of original development and classic titles from the world’s best independent and established developers and publishers.

With a dynamically updated library and free trials for every title, Xbox LIVE Arcade makes it easy for every type of gamer — from casual to hard-core — to get instantly immersed in the fun. Xbox LIVE Arcade also lets friends connect and play these incredible games either from the same room or from around the world via the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/livearcade.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.

About NBC Universal International Television Distribution

NBC Universal International Television Distribution is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television and new media outside of the U.S. and Canada. This includes a rich library of more than 4,000 feature films and 55,000 television episodes, including current and library titles, formats, non-scripted titles, sports, news, long-form and short-form programming and locally produced content from around the world. NBCU International Television Distribution provides this wealth of product to both traditional and new media outlets, and is a leader in adopting and maximizing new means of groundbreaking content delivery.